Lots of work and a very solemn promise

We have all had a really good week at the plot. Not just a day but several days of making real progress. We have even had fellow allotmenteers comment on how well it all seems to be coming along which is pretty much unheard of for us! Hurrah for the Easter holidays and being able to spend quality time at the plot!!

It started on Sunday and the allotment was looking very lush!

But not for long! Dave was able to borrow a strimmer from a friend and that long grass was soon a thing of the past! Neil is also a very happy chap because he has treated himself to a petrol mower so after Dave had strimmed the worst of it back he was able to go round and make the allotment look really neat and tidy. Well, neat and tidy for us!

We are also making great progress on the long neglected second half of the plot. We have turned the bottom section into an orchard which is looking good ( though we think we may have lost the plum tree) and Manda has worked really, really hard this week to create a winter veg plot. This is before, looking down towards the orchard, also before Dave and Neil’s strimming and mowing efforts.

After:

Actually she has done more since these pictures were taken and our baby brussel sprouts, swedes and cabbages are all safely netted and under cover!

And this isn’t to mention the peas, carrots and horse radish that have also been planted out.

And this is where I come to the solemn promise of the title…

Our triangular raised beds were one of the first things that we made and installed on the allotment. Over the years they have pretty much become established as flower beds and every year I find myself having to spend hours weeding them out whilst trying to preserve the plants and bulbs that I have got growing in there. This is the job in progress:

Frankly, I am bored to tears with having to do this AGAIN this year but I have nobody to blame but myself for not keeping on top of the weeding. And so, and so, I have solemnly promised to myself that if I achieve nothing else on the allotment this year I will keep on top of the weeds in the raised beds so that next year I can do something different!!

Anyone care to share what solemn promises / resolutions they have made for their plots this year?